419: Formal Patriarchy & Inevitable Harm

Series Title: Straight Talk on Patriarchy and Harm [Part II of II]

In this episode Val & Nathan lay out a several reasons why they feel that the LDS church is not able to address the strong correlation between its patriarchal structure, s*xual abuse & s*xual abuse under-reporting. The foundation of this struggle is a refusal to question the divinity of patriarchy...which leads to the patterns outlined in this episode.

Please note--episodes of this nature are intended to be "hard on system, soft on people." Val & Nathan maintain that no person is actively trying to harm others--but harm is the inevitable outcome of structures that will not confront their own shadows.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:16 Recap of Previous Episode

01:00 Nathan's Faith Journey and Institutional Critique

02:43 The Harm of Institutional Patriarchy

05:11 Centralized Authority and Its Consequences

07:38 Theological Justifications and Their Flaws

11:45 The "Ship vs. People" Metaphor

15:20 Patriarchy in the Book of Jacob

17:38 Patterns of Abuse and Institutional Response

21:15 Science vs. Religion: Reconciling Evidence

25:30 Handling Abuse Internally